Virginia Tech's Depth Is Starting to Pay Off
For the second consecutive week, Virginia Tech found itself in a game that required its starters to play deep into the fourth quarter.
The Hokies have responded well.
Franklin credited strength and conditioning for Virginia Tech's ability to finish games, but he also believes the team's depth has become an important factor.
Virginia Tech made a point of playing plenty of players early in the season, and that experience is now allowing the Hokies to rotate more frequently at certain positions.
The defensive line is perhaps the clearest example.
Virginia Tech has been comfortable playing five defensive tackles and five defensive ends, keeping the group fresh late in games.
Franklin specifically highlighted Kemari Copeland's performance against Boston College, calling it his best game of the season despite some of his impact not appearing on the stat sheet.
"Not all of those things show up in the statistics, but if you watch the game, he's very disruptive," Franklin said.
With Pitt presenting a much different offensive challenge than the weather-dominated game against Boston College, Virginia Tech's defensive depth could become even more important Friday night.
